Keystone State News Connection
| February 2, 2022 |
Emily Scott
Pennsylvania schools have faced an uphill battle in the omicron variant surge, which led to temporary virtual learning after the winter break. But a new poll finds parents feel overwhelming support for teachers, and for schools’ handling of COVID-19.
In the national survey of 1,300 parents of kids in public schools, 72% said their child’s school provides them with an “excellent or good-quality” education.
Despite the pandemic challenges of the last two years, said Dan Alderson, a teacher at Chartiers-Houston School District in Washington County, he’s never been more proud to be an educator.
“Students in our classrooms, they’re getting to see firsthand what it is to be a lifelong learner just by looking at their teachers,” he said, “and they’ve stepped out of their comfort zones, some of the teachers that weren’t familiar with technology, and they’ve really taken it upon themselves to learn as much as they can.”
In the poll, a big concern among parents is the nationwide teacher shortage, with 65% saying they were “fairly or very concerned” about it. Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill into law in December that allows the state to expand its pool of eligible substitutes.
Alderson said one of many things made more clear about teaching during the pandemic has been the importance of communicating with parents. With lots of contact amid last-minute switches to remote learning, he said he thinks it’s given parents a better appreciation for the job of being a teacher.
“You have to be able to turn on a dime and you have to be able to be flexible,” he said. “I think if anything, this thing has strengthened the bonds between that teacher-and-home connection with students and parents. I really think that it’s allowed me to reach my students and get to know my students better.”
Other pressing issues for parents that surfaced in the polling include concern over a lack of support staff, such as counselors and nurses, and worries about their children falling behind academically.